Plastic bung for beer barrels or the like



Nov. 3, 1953 v. ALVEAR 2,657,817

PLASTIC BUNG FOR BEER BARRELS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 10, 1950 ///l////// ll V EN TOR.

IN V/OT /e ALl/EAR BY I . ATTOlE/VEV l atentecl Nov. 3, 1953 OFFICE PLASTIC HUNG FOR BEER'B'ARRELS OR THE LIKE Victor Alvear, Passalc, N.'J.-

ApplicationA-iigust =10, 1950;"Serlal' No. 1783654 1 Claim.

1 It has generally been customary to use bungs or stoppers made of cork in barrels containing beer, ale and the like, but it has been found that the cork contaminates the liquid which is particularly noticeable when the barrel has stood for any length of time and such cork stoppers are also expensive as they cannot be used again when contamination is noticed.

It has also been proposed to employ stoppers of rubber but this material is also objectionable for many reasons.

I have found that an elastic and entirely satisfactory and cheap stopper can be formed of synthetic elastomeric plastic having the properties of polyethylene and vinyl derivatives. This is not only cheap to manufacture but the stopper can be used over and over again. Such a stopper has been found to be tasteless, non-absorbent, insoluble, indestructible, can be used in conventional bung hole bushings and when properly formed is entirely effective. The stopper is inert to liquid as well as gases and is entirely sanitary. It is not affected by normal changes in atmospheric conditions and does not stick to the bushing. This type of plastic has the known characteristic of being form retaining under normal pressure but capable of deformation under excessive pressure and return to its original form upon release of such pressure.

In reference to the drawings, all of which are enlarged,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of one form of bung hole bushing with a stopper involving one form of my invention in place.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the stopper of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of another form of bushing with a modified form of stopper in place.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation view of the stopper of Fig. 3.

The bung bushing 6 of Fig. 1 is of a conventional form having a straight cylindrical passage I centrally therethrough and an inner radial surface GA substantially perpendicular to the wall lA of passage I.

The bung stopper 8 is cup-shaped and has a thin side wall 9 and is closed by the integral top wall In and is open at the bottom. Top wall I is much thicker than side wall 9 and is substantially rigid. The outside diameter at the top is slightly greater than the inside diameter of the passage 1 in the bushing and the diameter ofthe lower end at II is preferably slightly less than the diameter or the passage 1. The side Wall adjacent its lower end has an external shoulder l2 slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the passage 1 at its lower end. Shoulder l2 has an upwardly facing radial surface IZA substantially perpendicular to the smooth unbroken substantially cylindrical outer surface 9A of wall 9. The side wall I3 of the lower end of the stopper is enlarged and slightly tapered and preferably has two or more opposed cut-out portions l4, M to permit contraction of said comparatively flexible lower end in order to facilitate entrance of the stopper into the bushing.

The diameter of the stopper at I5 just above the shoulder [2 when molded is at least as great and preferably slightly greater than the inner diameter of the passage 1 so as to insure a tight fit of the stopper when it is pressed into place usually by a mallet striking against the impact receiving wall It). The inside diameter at the upper end of the stopper is slightly less than the inside diameter at the lower end so that the thickness of wall 9 diminishes gradually from top to bottom.

, eter of the lower end ll of the stopper is made The stopper is designed to be fitted snugly in the bushing so that the pressure within the barrel presses the side wall of the stopper against the Wall of the passage in the bushing and forces the shoulder l2 into tight engagement against the inner edge radial surface 6A of the bushing to lock the stopper against outward movement in passage 1.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3, the bushing 6 has a passage which is undercut at 1'. The stopper '8 is molded of polyethylene or the like and given a slight taper for convenience in molding, the diameter at the top being slightly greater than the diameter of the passage in the bushing. An external shoulder or rib l2 adjacent the bottom projects outwardly sufliciently to permit passage through the bushing and to interlock with the lower end 6 of the bushing when completely inserted. The diamsubstantially equal to the inner diameter of the main passage through the bushing and is tapered to permit entrance into the bushing and may be cut out or notched at I4 to facilitate such entrance of the stopper. This is particularly desir able if the diameter of, the lower end of the stopper is somewhat greater than the diameter of the entrance to the bushing.

The side wall will bulge somewhat under inside pressure into the undercut bushing portion 1'.

I claim: The combination with a bung bushing for beer barrels or the like having a substantially cylindrical passage therethrough, of a cup-shaped bung formed of a molded synthetic elastomeric plastic having the characteristic of being form retaining under normal pressure but capable of deformation under excessive pressure and return to its original form upon release of such pressure, said bung being of a diameter capable of being driven into the cylindrical passage through the bushing in reverse position, the closed impact receiving wall of said bung being comparatively thick and rigid, the side wall of said bung tapering in thickness from the closed end to the open end and said wall and being of greater height than the the cylindrical opening in the bushing in which the bung is driven, said taper imparting a greater degree of flexibility to the open edge of the bung wall, and a surrounding shoulder on the side wall adjacent its open edge adapted to be deformed the bushing.

VICTOR ALVEAR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 678,203 Searles et al July 9, 1901 1,710,363 Kramer -1 Apr. 23, 1929 1,915,249 Jorgensen June 20, 1933 2,072,366 Hein Mar. 2, 1937 2,155,811 Tredup Apr. 25, 1939 2,196,785 Takiguchi Apr. 9, 1940 2,526,225 Gronemeyer et a1. Oct. 17, 1950 

